Yosemite camping

The old pictures LaDonna posted of us at Yosemite triggered some memories. The park was pretty pristine back then. We didn't have any camping gear. No tent yet, no Coleman stove, or sleeping bags. Just a crazy young couple with five little kids and the desire to breath the fresh air and see the sites of one of the most beautiful spots on the planet. They cooked over an open fire and made sandwiches. The old Mercury pictured served as a bed for the three youngest when Dad removed the bottom part of the back seat and using old pillows to make a bed. I think Mom slept in the front seat. Dad strung a hammock between trees for himself. And Keith and I just slept on the ground close to the fire. Dad also used some old truck tarps stretched between trees to make an enclosure. One year I counted nine weekends in a row that we made the journey to Yosemite camp. Plus two full weeks that summer. We usually left in the very early morning to assure we'd get there ahead of the crowds.
RonT